Wow! I never really thought much about Duke Ellington.
Tunes of the great composer, pianist, and band leader would zip in and out of my life on the radio or old movies, with me rarely paying any attention where they originated. I was pleasantly surprised when I found a stack of Duke Ellington CDs among Jim's collection, and decided to listen to one.
Blues In Orbit was released in 1988 by CBS Records Inc. as part of its Columbia Jazz Masterpieces series. The CD case proudly states the collection is " Digitally Remastered Directly From The Original Analog Tapes" of the original 1960s album. It does hum, with the bass rattling the walls at a normal level. The jazz-swing compilation has been remastered over 10 times between the 1988 version and 2017.
The CD includes the original tunes from the album, and had some room to include a few later pieces. Fourteen titles making up the list include:
- Blues in Orbit
- Track 360
- Villes Ville Is the Place, Man
- Brown Penny
- Three J's Blues
- SMADA
- Pie Eye's Blues
- C Jam Blues
- Sweet & Pungent
- In a Mellotone
- Sentimental Lady
- Blues in Blueprint
- The Swingers Get The Blues, Too
- The Swinger's Jump
I really enjoyed this CD. Made me want to get up and dance. My toes are still tapping. If you would like to know more about "the jazz legend" Duke Ellington, visit the official site here.
Or for a traditional taste of his music, listen to the YouTube post below.
